Can the Alte Burg Penzlin be visited without a guide?

The courtyard and outdoor areas can be visited freely, but the interior rooms and dungeon are only accessible with museum admission.

What does the museum at the Alte Burg Penzlin cover?

It focuses on everyday magic in the Mecklenburg region and early modern witch persecution, drawing on the long trial of Benigna Schultzen, which lasted from 1699 to 1711.

Why is it called the 'Alte' (Old) Burg Penzlin?

The name distinguishes it from the nearby Schloss Neue Burg, built in 1810 after the medieval fortress, which had decayed since the Thirty Years' War, became uninhabitable.

What is in the cellar of the Alte Burg Penzlin?

A 16th-century dungeon built according to the rules of the Malleus Maleficarum, now also home to a protected bat colony.

Alte Burg Penzlin

Penzlin

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Where: Penzlin

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Open within 20 km

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Alte Burg Penzlin stands in Penzlin (Landkreis Mecklenburgische Seenplatte), in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

The Alte Burg Penzlin stands on what was once a 12th-century border between Slavic populations and German settlers, in the southwest of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Built around 1220, it served as a secondary residence of the princes of Werle before becoming, from 1501, the ancestral seat of the von Maltzahn family. It now houses a museum devoted to everyday magic and early modern witch trials, including a 16th-century dungeon largely preserved in its original state. The inner courtyard holds a garden of herbs traditionally credited with magical properties.

What to know

Access to the interior rooms and the so-called witches' dungeon is only possible as part of a museum visit.
The courtyard and outdoor areas, including the magical herb garden, can be visited freely.
The dungeon hosts a protected bat colony, whose presence is part of the visit.
An annual medieval festival takes place in Penzlin, organised by a re-enactment association linked to the site's history.
The building is distinct from the nearby Schloss Neue Burg, built in 1810 by the Maltzan family after the medieval castle became uninhabitable.

Where this château is

Penzlin · Landkreis Mecklenburgische Seenplatte · Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Map of the area around Alte Burg Penzlin

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Penzlin, Landkreis Mecklenburgische Seenplatte

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Baudenkmal in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can the Alte Burg Penzlin be visited without a guide?: The courtyard and outdoor areas can be visited freely, but the interior rooms and dungeon are only accessible with museum admission.
What does the museum at the Alte Burg Penzlin cover?: It focuses on everyday magic in the Mecklenburg region and early modern witch persecution, drawing on the long trial of Benigna Schultzen, which lasted from 1699 to 1711.
Why is it called the 'Alte' (Old) Burg Penzlin?: The name distinguishes it from the nearby Schloss Neue Burg, built in 1810 after the medieval fortress, which had decayed since the Thirty Years' War, became uninhabitable.
What is in the cellar of the Alte Burg Penzlin?: A 16th-century dungeon built according to the rules of the Malleus Maleficarum, now also home to a protected bat colony.